The yet to be released Socio Economic and Caste Census survey in Urban Areas shows a large percentage of people are still without basic amenities of water and electricity.
Data collated during the survey in urban areas, shows as many as 50 lakh households have drinking water away from the premises, while 20 lakh households have no electricity supply and no water sealed toilets (where water acts as a barrier between the toilet seat and the sewers). This is in sharp contrast to the 86 lakh households that own a refrigerator, washing machine, a landline telephone connection and two wheelers.
There are also 35 lakh households with no income, one lakh households which survive on begging and 43,000 households that work as rag pickers, the unreleased data shows.
Though the survey for urban areas has been completed, it has not been released as there is no clarity on the parameters to define deprivation. According to sources, the Centre is yet to identify the parameters for categorising people according to the measure of deprivation in the urban areas, even as the Planning Commission constituted expert group headed by Prof S.R.Hashim to recommend the detailed methodology for identification of families living below poverty line in urban areas submitted its final report on December 24, 2012.
